Twitch Press Release

Did anyone notice that “Abortive” was listed on the Twitch press release? Does that mean the track was held back for two years until the release of LoRaH in 1988? I always thought that “Abortive” sounded out of place on LoRaH, and it sounds like just a bunch of Twitch outtakes strung together.

It’s featured on the bootleg “Twitched,” which is supposedly the acetate recordings from the Twitch sessions. As far as I can tell, it’s the exact same version as featured on LoRaH, although I could be wrong. So, yeah, it appears that it is a Twitch-era tune. I’m currently sharing “Twitched” on Soulseek, but it’s worth getting if only for the liner notes…a bootleg with liner notes. Neat.

Did anyone notice that “Abortive” was listed on the Twitch press release? Does that mean the track was held back for two years until the release of LoRaH in 1988? I always thought that “Abortive” sounded out of place on LoRaH, and it sounds like just a bunch of Twitch outtakes strung together.

i think abortive is kinda cool at the end of the lorah album actually. “twitched” version is shorter for some reason (like, a minute or something) but has that noise intro (the version we all knew before on lorah started right away with the drums). otherwise nothing is different. it was also played live before the twitch release i think.

“Abortive” is a great closer for LORAH and I’m glad it was released that way.

Yeah, I just checked them out, and they are different. My bad.
According to the booklet, there was to be an Abortive/Twitch (part 1) medley at the end of the album; this was later replaced with the Where You At Now?/Crash and Burn/Twitch (v.II) medley we all know and love.
Tracks of note on the Twitched release are Isle of Man (v.1), Possession (an extended ver. of “My Possession”), Abortive (yep, it’s different), Twitch (part 1), and an unreleased 7" edit of The Angel. I particularly like that one, it really works better with a little ‘fat’ trimmed off. Good stuff.
So, yeah, sorry. Rambling there. The point is - Abortive is old.

you mean “twitched” booklet? can you scan it or, em, type or describe what it says about the album?

you mean “twitched” booklet? can you scan it or, em, type or describe what it says about the album?

Good Lord…scanner’s down, so here goes…
“This album consists of the studio acetates cut on 28th-29th August 1985 at the Frankford/Wayne Mastering Labs in New York. Tracks 1-8 represent how the Twitch LP was originally intended to be. All Day (Remix) was added to the final album replacing Isle of Man (v.1) on side one. On side two of the LP Possession was shortened and renamed My Possession and the 7-minute Abortive and Twitch (part 1) medley were also pemanently removed - until now, having been replaced with the 12-minute medley of Where You At Now?/Crash and Burn/Twitch(v.II). In addition a shorter 7” version of The Angel was mastered but never used. Tracks 10-12 were used for the 12" release of Over the Shoulder."

At this point, there’s a 5 page bio that chronicles Ministry from Al’s birth to the release of Animositisomina…I’m not gonna type all of that. However, here’s what it has to say about Twitch -

“In 1986 Ministry having signed to Sire records released their second full length album - Twitch. This was a mixture of dance tracks held together with over-modulated beats and room-clearing white noise. It represents the missing link between the relatively light-hearted early phase and the angst-stricken latter days in Ministry’s repertoire signalling the start of harsher sound that they are now best known for. Twitch was produced by Adrian Sherwood and engineered by Gareth Jones who are known for their work with such 80’s bands as Depeche Mode and The Fall.”
“A tour followed and Over the Shoulder was released as a single.” - James Plummer.

Phew…you know, Mr. Plummer seems to have some issues with the English language. Run-on sentences, missing punctuation, etc., etc. Still, some interesting info. If you don’t have any record shops worth their salt in your area (or, you know, willing to sell boots), you can most likely find this on ebay. It’s worth owning.
I removed the last 3 tracks in the folder (of Twitched) I’m sharing on Soulseek, as it really is just the “Over the Shoulder” 12". You can find those tracks in my “25 Years of Twelve Inches” folder.
Off to bed now…Cheers!

cool thanks

I loveeeeeeee Twitch and Twitched [:)]

The live original version of Abortive is by far the best, fully fleshed out and actually fun to listen to. It would be nice to see a recorded version come out of the wood work someday.

Don’t take most of that information to heart. Plummer isn’t going to be the best source on any of that, considering it was an unauthorized release. I highly doubt Al wanted Twitched to be the actual Twitch.

Notice, for example, that “All Day” is not on Twitched. That is because that particular song is owned by WaxTrax!, now owned by Al and co.
They really made sure to cover their tracks kind of crappily…

But info re: “The Angel” being a single and “Abortive” supposedly going to be on Twitch… it’s pretty possible, but Al decided otherwise?

Also, on the “Abortive” tip, it’s definitely Twitch-era. It was produced by “Eddie Echo” on LORAH. Eddie Echo = Adrian Sherwood?

Don’t take most of that information to heart. Plummer isn’t going to be the best source on any of that, considering it was an unauthorized release. I highly doubt Al wanted Twitched to be the actual Twitch.
Which is why it was changed, you see. And no, I don’t much trust someone that can’t write any better than that (Plummer), although the info seems pretty solid. And All Day being owned by someone else doesn’t matter - it’s a bootleg, meaning ALL the songs are owned by someone else. I really doubt Radioactive Records has any claim to those tracks!
I prefer Twitch as it was released, but it’s cool to hear what might have been. As for The Angel being a single, I think it would have gone over really well - it has that pop sensibility to it that may have made it huge. Certainly more-so than Over the Shoulder.

I prefer Twitch as it was released, but it’s cool to hear what might have been.

yeah. although i wish they’d split that medley in three separate tracks on cd and NOT include ots 12" and isle of man. so it would be more like LP version…

anyway, there are lots and lots (as you all know) twitch-flavoured tracks and mixes/remixes that would be enough to compile another “twitch”…

whats yer slsk username christonbaum?

It’s the same - Christonabun. I’m prolly gonna switch up the tracks I’m sharing soon (I don’t like to draw attention to myself by sharing more than a thousand or so songs), but I’ll leave the Ministry stuff up for good. Cheers!

I have Twitched on CD. Such a awesome bootleg !

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Vinyl here, selling entire collection soon.

Your whole ministry collection or just the bootleg collection? I’d be interested in seeing how much you get.

Just listed a lit of fun stuff to look at, see anything interesting best offer wins!
Thanks.

Will post vinyl pics eventually.

Check the merch section.